kpnut

I would have thought somewhere like Ranworth would have plenty of witnesses to deter anyone going over the top in their reaction to a request by/discussion with a ranger. But a ranger trying to negotiate with a boat moving at speed while flouting regs, or performing dangerous manoeuvres, or pulling up to a lone boat for some reason (I can think of bbq being used on the roof by people with too much pop inside them an obvious scenario, which I’ve personally seen) would be more likely to find themselves on the wrong end of an abusive tirade or whatever and perhaps be grateful for the footage for later use.

I could say Tony’s era then, but that would be cruel 😂 I have seen pictures of him seeing to the horses when ploughing, but by the time he was working properly he had a little grey Fergie with 2 furrow plough.

Good that you managed to get moored at Somerleyton, even with a bit of a battle.

Well, that’s ok then Mark, as I used to work as a shepherd, so am fully entitled to cast my clout!!!! I spent a lot of time traipsing up and down the scarp of the South Downs when moving them, bringing them down for lambing, clipping and dipping, up again afterwards, driving up and down the bostal (a track on the downs) on a Massey 135 when checking them. And sorting them when grading the lambs for market up on the tops in a makeshift pen and race setup.

I think they’re getting quite popular on the canal network. A read of some of the canal forums might shed some light. I did see someone mention a toilet that you press a valve for one way for a wee and another for solids. Ok if you do things separately!

I’m going to try Langley dyke moorings next time down south. You always make them look so enticing on your photos Mouldy.

Doesn’t take long to get into retirement mode, in whatever form that takes, once you’re ready for it.

Yes Helen, my oven is most definitely not the same as at home!!!!

I think so too Malcolm. Good for you. I too think the year is flying by. As I was taking the dogs out this morning, I wondered how we’d suddenly leapt from winter to near summer. May is one of my favourite months, still having the promise of the summer to come but long days and often nice and warm enough to be out and about in just trainers and jumper (ne’er cast a clout till May is out - I’m sure it refers to May blossom (now) rather than the month of May being finished, as the temperature over the past couple of days would leave me wilting with a coat on). But the month will soon be gone once I get to the boat next week and forget the time.

Or so expensive if you have to add a fiver to your visit to the shop, even before you’ve found they haven’t got any.

I don’t mind being in a CinC, just not leading it please! (Would need to cruise to Malthouse broad first, to cruise back again). It’ll be homemade biscuits this year for the quiz unless I practice making full sponge cakes with the boat oven beforehand. I’m not sure it’s reliable enough. I’ll be around from sometime on Friday to help put up the gazebo etc Tell me a time and I’ll be there by then. Im looking forward to it.

Were the Reedham moorings clean or still muddy Jean?

It looks like a clematis Montana to me. Or at the very least an early group 1 clematis. Not much needs to be done other than keeping it tidy. Mine tried to grow all along my washing line.

Maybe there’s a space where a holding tank used to be, or maybe the holding tank is still there, just not plumbed up? Welcome and good luck, busy busy from now on!

Many thanks for writing that up. That’s a long old drive home! I tried downloading it but my phone OS is not a high enough number, too old I suppose.

I moored at Potter at about 10.39am on the Saturday a couple of years ago. That was good, being able to watch without having to walk anywhere, although I did go to the staithe at one point to see the de-masting action at closer quarters. I expect Ludham bridge might be good as you’d moor above the bridge and view from the bridge but then when you have seen enough, you’d be able to carry on your journey upstream. I did think about mooring on the side of the Bure below Fleet dyke entrance, but thought I’d get too worried if yachts were needing to tack near me.

Head for Coltishall for the weekend if you can get under the bridge.

The lanes round there are very small. Bit like living in Cornwall with large unsuitable vehicles trying to pass each other and churning up verges etc.

It's funny how people's views differ. Amongst the members of the farming community I know, it has been viewed as very positive, helping to convey the issues farmers face. Agreed, he has shone a very good light on the issues, particularly the financial, isolation and mental health issues in the industry. I was referring more to his actual practices, wrecking the very environment providing his income. His supposed inability to think a project through without some disaster is taken as a joke amongst my farming friends. I say ‘supposed’ because I would hazard a guess that most of it is staged for the tv. But it still does a lot of damage. He got a digger or similar stuck and gouged out a massive bit of ground getting it out. Anyone with any sense wouldn’t have put it there in the first place. He sold blighted potatoes with a big smile, thinking he was clever to put them in a sack so no-one could see. Pig farming comes and goes in cycles. If you catch it on the up, don’t invest too heavily in infrastructure that cannot be adapted for other enterprises later, and then get out at the top of the market, you do well. I prefer James Rebanks; he has also shone a light on the plight of British farming but actually knows his stuff.

Nor many local residents who've had their lives and locale turned upside down. But agreed, it's a good watch for the other two personalities. How they put up with him is anyone's guess! He hasn't put the farming community in a particularly caring light; of the soil or of the environment or of their produce.

Sounds a perfect day. Thanks for sharing.

I saw the adult (not sure which) bring very restless this morning. And had a glimpse of the chick. And just now both adults were there but then I got distracted so missed the changeover or whatever they did.

No doubt they probably measure the total length and then divide by an "average" length of 25ft or something similar. The official length that mooring spaces are calculated from is published on the BA website somewhere, probably in a policy document I read recently. And you’re right, the length used is much less than the average boat length. I have in my head it was 23ft but that seems ridiculously short, so maybe 27ft? And of course, where double mooring is allowed, that’s added in although it’s rarely done nowadays as Mouldy said. The other week I was moored on the BA Acle bridge moorings and a hire boat went in to moor on the other side, on the Broads Bank quay heading. With no reference boardto refer to (no BA sign saying alongside) they copied Bridgecrafts boats and moored stern on. Two other hire boats then came in independently of each other and copied the first one. You’d get an awful lot of boats on that stretch, all moored stern on. How safe though is not for me to judge.

Me neither!

Hello from me and springer spaniel, sometimes two. You’ll enjoy this forum, lots of diverse discussion. Happy boating.